


Don't Count On It

by CraveyQueen1



Category: Newsies, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, Gen, OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 15:53:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5169635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CraveyQueen1/pseuds/CraveyQueen1





	Don't Count On It

Crutchie was thankful for the crack in the wall that let a stream of moonlight fall on his bed as he counted out his change.

“Four hundred and five cents,” he whispered. He took out the piece of paper and pencil he kept under his pillow and recorded the number.

He put everything under away, got under his blanket and lied down. He looked up at the bunk above him. He could hear Mush snoring. He tried to close his eyes and go to sleep.

He knew he would have enough money for papers the next morning and enough food to last him. He'd still have some left over in case something happened. He took a deep breath in attempt to ease the rotting feeling in his head. 

He rolled onto his stomach and tried to sleep.

HIs eyes opened. He wondered if he’d counted more than there was. If maybe he'd counted the same coin twice, even three times. He shut his eyes and told himself he was fine. He wondered if he had missed any coins while putting them all back in the pouch. If any had slipped out from under his pillow onto the floor. 

He sat up and took the money pouch out from under his pillow.

-

“What are you guys doing?” Crutchie asked as he got to his bunk and saw Mush on Albert’s shoulders.

“I’m tired of shivering myself to sleep every dang night,” said Mush as he shoved a piece of fabric into the crack in the wall.

“Okay,”said Crutchie. He sat on the edge of his bed, facing away so he didn’t have to see what they were doing. He took in slow breaths and tapped his fingers on the edge of his bunk, trying to calm himself down.

-

Crutchie didn’t know how he’d accomplished the miracle of getting from his bunk to the wall through the darkness. But, there he was gripping one of the looser planks, holding his crutch above his head. He felt around with it for the fabric that was blocking the crack in the wall. He felt some anxiety fall away when he found it but even more when he managed to push it out of the wall.

“Crutchie?”

For a second Crutchie’s world stopped spinning. He turned around and saw Mush sitting up in his bed. “Hi.”

“What are you doing?”


End file.
